BRUSSELS, 18 August 2026. A European research consortium wants to build soft robots that can feel, heal themselves, and shift between rigid and flexible states on demand. The RESSORT project, backed by Horizon Europe funding, pulls together 14 partners across seven countries to move this technology out of the lab and into hospitals, food processing plants, and industrial inspection sites.
Vrije Universiteit Brussel leads the four-year initiative under Professor Bram Vanderborght. Soft robots differ fundamentally from their rigid industrial counterparts. Built from pliable materials, they conform to their surroundings instead of fighting against them. This makes them inherently safer around humans and better suited for handling fragile objects.
Yet these machines remain stuck in research facilities. Durability problems, poor sensing capabilities, unreliable manufacturing, and short lifespans have kept them from commercial deployment. RESSORT attacks each barrier directly. The team plans to create self-repairing materials, structures that toggle between soft and stiff configurations, low-cost three-dimensional tactile sensors, adaptive artificial intelligence, and multi-material 3D printing methods.
“Soft robotics has the potential to fundamentally modify the way robots interact with people and their environment,” Vanderborght said. “With RESSORT, we are bringing together a range of innovative technologies to build soft robots not only smarter, but also more sustainable, reliable and ready for real-world applications.”
Three demonstrators will test the technologies under realistic conditions. In healthcare, a personalized soft exosuit will support patients during rehabilitation and daily movement. Its flexible construction and intelligent controls adapt to each user’s body and requirements.
For the food sector, an adaptive gripper system will handle produce, bread, and other delicate items of irregular shapes. Three-dimensional tactile sensors give the robot a sense of touch, letting it adjust grip pressure automatically. Conventional robots struggle with such tasks. This system opens possibilities for industrial kitchens, food processors, and logistics operators.
A deformable drone serves as the third test case. Variable-stiffness structures let it squeeze through narrow openings, then stiffen once inside. This capability enables inspections in damaged infrastructure or cramped industrial facilities where standard drones cannot operate.
Belgium anchors the consortium. VUB, through Brubotics and imec, develops self-sealing suction cups with J. Schmalz GmbH and tactile sensors with Melexis. Spin-off Valence Technologies contributes its patented HEALANT self-healing technology.
The project unites expertise in robotics, AI, soft materials, advanced manufacturing, and technology transfer. The goal: strengthen Europe’s position in human-centered, sustainable robotics over the next four years.
